TellZim reporter
Masvingo Mayor has applauded the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira for his support to the local authority in their endeavours to recoup big debts they are owed by mostly government departments which he believes would help re-vitalize council operations.
Speaking at the sidelines of the routine full council meeting held at Town House on February 28, Masvingo Mayor Cllr Collen Maboke said their working relationship with the minister will go a long way in recovering debt as these government departments owe them a lot of revenue.
“On government debtors, we have got that obligation to follow them up but we work through the office of Ministry of State. The Minister (Ezra Chadzamira) is working with us well and he has helped us a lot. Recently we managed to get a bulk payment of ZW $24 million as part payment of the amount we are owed by the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA).
“We cannot say government is doing nothing as we are getting assistance from Minister Chadzamira to that effect. Government institutions are amongst our big debtors who owe us a lot of money,” said Maboke.
He however said if these big debtors pay up their debt, council would be in a better position to cater for some of its priorities from the resultant revenue collection.
“If these big debtors pay up the amounts, we may be in a better position to solve some of our problems we have at council using the revenue. We have issues like that of a depleted fleet of refuse compactors that I raised during the meeting where I was probing why refuse is not being collected like we intend to,” he added.
Most local authorities around the country face periodic challenges in terms of revenue collection as most government departments owe them huge sums of money which they would pay long after they are due and most probably when inflation would have chewed into the money.
